A humorous device used when a character is talking to another, but suddenly sees something which causes him or her to have a sudden and loud change of subject. However, astonishingly, what the distracted character actually shouts could well be what they had been about to say, due to double meanings of words or just plain old coincidence.

A variant of this is when the conversation after the change of subject is not what the speaker had been about to say, or the interrupter is another person, but the two parts still make perfect sense as a sentence when pieced together.

Examples

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Advertising

A commercial in New Zealand some years back featured someone constantly switching TV channels, and all of the dialogue we actually hear on each channel logically joined up with the dialogue in the next. For instance, on one channel we hear "an old hag!" (it was a soap opera or sitcom), the channel changes, and the very next thing we hear is "with six legs and a thorax" (a nature documentary on insects). It just continued like this.

There used to be a commercial selling some CDs of songs from the 1980s where the snippit of "Goody Two Shoes" by Adam and the Ants cut off after the line "What do you do?" and was directly followed by the chorus of "Come On, Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

An eBay advertisement once involved satisfied customers explaining what they used eBay for, edited together in this manner.

"You can buy or sell almost anything on eBay. We sell tartan—" "—drawers. They're cheaper on eBay, so we had enough money left over—" "—for a brand new car! Found it on eBay! Of course, now my wife thinks I'll be attracting—" "—girls, show them your new mp3 players! I found them on eBay which I was looking for a birthday present for—" "—this rubber chicken came from eBay, and Benji loves it!"

Comics

Due to the panel layout in comic books, the variant is very easy to pull off. For example, a British comic had each panel a different channel, as per the Advertising example above, leading to exchanges such as:

Superhero: I will save them! With my nerves of steel, muscles of iron— Chef: —and a knob of butter— Policeman: —it looks like we got here just in time for a— Superhero: —Jimmy down the liftshaft?

Advertisement placement can sometimes do this as well. A memorable one is in Peter David's Captain Mar-Vell run, when Entropy first appears. He appears off-panel, speaking to Captain Marvel, when the reader turns the page, it's a full page advertisement for Stuart Little.

Fan Fiction

This sketch-like Sailor Moon fic, in which the setting is the time guardian Sailor Pluto deciding to take peeks at her friends' lives on Earth in a TV channel-surfing style.

In the parody Giggles Bags the Borg, one of the gallant WW1 airmen is suffering the runs (thanks to the castor oil lubricant used in the aircraft engine) while searching for a notorious German air ace.

"Well now's not the time to take a SHIT!" yelled Belsworth, as a blue Fokker D.VII swooped out of the sun like a deadly hawk.

Mike is wooing Celia over dinner, telling her: "Just the other day, someone asked me who is the most beautiful girl in all of Monstropolis, and I said... [Mike notices Sulley peeking through the window)] Sulley?" Celia is understandably not too pleased.

And earlier when Mike starts to panic when he realizes that he forgot to hand in his paperwork to Roz.

Mike: Oh no, my scare reports! I left them on my desk! If I'm not at the restaurant in five minutes, they're gonna give our table away! What am I going to tell—!? [sees Celia right next to him] Schmoopsie-Poo.

The Iron Giant: Hogarth's prayer includes several examples of this, but he keeps finding ways to fit his sudden shouts into his prayer.

Sitting at the dinner table, he looks over his mom's shoulder and sees the giant's hand in the kitchen. "Oh my God! Uh- Oh, my God, we thank you for this food. And- STOP! ...the devil... from doing bad things?" Then Hogarth sees the giant's arm crawling through the kitchen over his mom's shoulder and he yells, "GET OUT OF HERE- ... Satan..."

In Balto: Wolf Quest, Balto is reluctant to give his and Jenna's puppies up for adoption. He discusses his feelings with her while said puppies and Boris the snow goose are playing in the background.

Jenna: Each one of our children have their own lives to live. It's our job to love them, and then... Boris:[being chewed on by the puppies] LET GO!!!

Queen Lillian: Well, he's no Prince Charming, but they do look— [cut to Shrek and Fiona]Shrek: Happy, now? We came, we saw them. Heh-heh, now lets go before they light the torches! Fiona: Shrek, they're my parents! Shrek:Hello, they locked you in a tower. Fiona: Hey, that was for my own— [cut to the King and Queen]King Harold: Good! Now's here's our chance! Let's go back inside and pretend we're not home! Queen Lillian:Harold! We have to be— [cut to Shrek and Fiona]Shrek: Quick! While they're not looking, we can make a run for it! Fiona: Shh, Shrek! Stop it! Everything is going to be— [cut to the King and Queen]King Harold: —a disaster! There is no way— [cut to Shrek and Fiona]Fiona: You can do this! Shrek: But I really— [cut to the King and Queen]King Harold:[sceptically] Really? Queen Lillian:[firmly] Really.Fiona: Don't— King Harold: —want— Shrek: —to— Queen Lillian: Be— Shrek and Harold: —here!

In Shrek the Third, one happens at the mascot contest when Shrek barges in.

The preacher is commencing his sermon when a bundle of dynamite is thrown through the window:

Preacher: We will now read from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and... Duck!

Also:

Chairman: As chairman of the welcoming committee, it is my privilege to extend a laurel, and hardy handshake to our new..... [sees Bart] nigger.

Garfield 2. Lord Dargis has got rid of Prince (the cat), when Garfield, who looks exactly like Prince, settled in castle. This moment is priceless. Lord Dargis walks with his investor (charming young woman).

In Pitch Perfect this occurs with the Riff Off and is in fact the point in that the various groups have to continuously interrupt each other by matching lyrics. The main segment features "Songs About Sex" and amusingly features Jessie cutting off Stacie's "I'll Make Love to You" with "Feels Like the First Time" opening with the lyrics "And I guess that's just the woman in you that brings out the man in me." Becca picks up with an awesome rendition of "No Diggity" though actually fails this trope and therefore loses as she goes from "It" to "It's."

In another TV-channel version, while Shaun is channel-surfing, the news reports on the zombies combine with various others to describe zombie attacks: "BODIES ON THE STREETS" *click* "with increasing reports of" *click* "people who are literally being" *click* "eaten alive." etc.

Plus an example similar to the Mad Magazine entry above, as well as Ed interrupting a quasi-lover's quarrel with appropriate annoyed grunts.

Liz: It’d just be nice if we could— Ed:[playing game in background] Fuck! Liz: —spend a bit of time together— Ed: Bollocks! Liz: —just you and me. Ed: Cock it!

In Shirley Valentine, Shirley walks on tavern owner Costas trying to seduce a tourist with the same lines he used on Shirley earlier.

Costas: You afraid that I will make fuck to you. But I only ask you to come on boat. Different thing. Boat is boat. Fuck is... [sees Shirley] ...fuck.

Happens in Mr. Magoo while the title character is trying to cook a chicken via TV instructions, but thanks to a channel change winds up following an aerobics instructor instead. A few minutes later and another incident leads to him following a wood worker.

—Dick! Hey, Dick! did you know that they did it in Goldmember, too? Y'know, about the satellite that looked like a pair of giant—

—Ta-tas for now! The Osbournes appear to lampshade, stating the filmmakers already did this before with a rocket that looks like some guy's—

—Johnson! Move on to the next example!

Terminator Genisys. While Kyle Reese trying to get his head around Time-Travel Tense Trouble after being told John Connor is his son. "That's the man our son was...is...will be...Jesus!" On top of the confusion of time travel being funny, John Connor is an analog of Jesus Christ, prophesied savior of humankind.

The prosecutor in What's Up, Doc?: "And I can prove that he is in unauthorized possession of secret government..." [opens the mistakenly swapped briefcase] ... "underwear."

In The Inspector GeneralDanny Kaye's character sings a "gypsy drinking song" which includes an unintended flaming sword dance. At the end of the dance the sword comes in contact with his hair, which starts smoldering as he continues the song.

And so we drink To everyone we admire. To the girl who sets your heart aglow and sets your heart on... FIRE!

Combined with Curse Cut Short in Star Trek Into Darkness. Scotty's reaction to seeing the Vengeance for the first time is interrupted by the scene changing to Kirk and Spock entering a room.

Dave Barry had an article that consisted of nothing but this. It's written in first person as Dave is scanning the radio looking for a good song, and as the stations switch between Insane Proprietor ads, strange Bible readings, and even stranger political ads, the transitions are almost seamless.

To Kill a Mockingbird has this with the gossip at a ladies' missionary circle meeting: "Yes sir, Mrs. Perkins, that J. Grimes Everett is a martyred saint, he... needed to get married so they ran... to the beauty parlor every Saturday afternoon... soon as the sun goes down. He goes to bed with the... chickens, a crate full of sick chickens, Fred says that’s what started it all. Fred says...”

Star Wars: Kenobi: Kallie is reading off a slip of paper when she happens to spot Ben out the window of the Calwells' van.

Kallie:To Annie: This certificate good for— Ben!

Live Action TV

Victorious: In one episode Tori and Jade sing a song (called Take A Hint) about getting unwanted attention from guys

Jade: I Don't wanna be a priss/ Im just tryna be polite/ but it always seems to bite me in the... Tori:ASk me for my number/ yeah you put me on the spot...

Venezuelan Sketch ShowCheverisimo had a lot of sketches in that vein. The most famous of those was one where a pair talked about third person and their naïveté (or about some naive act they committed themselves), and when they were to say "because I/you/he/she/them are such a..." they were always interrupted by a bag salesman crying "Bolsa!". (In Venezuela, "bolsa", besides his "bag" meaning, is also an euphemism for "idiot" or "naively dumb").

A similar sketch has people discussing someone's hotness and what they intended to do with that person, when they were interrupted by a machete-bearing country salesman crying "¡Machete!", who was covering his groin. ("Darle machete" is a somewhat rude way of saying Intercourse with You).

Often inverted hilariously on the "Whose Line" sketch of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, a game where performers have to perform a skit and, at various times, pull out some lines previously written by the audience and use them as if they were what they had been about to say. Much of the humour in this game involves totally storyline-inappropriate lines being pulled out, and the performers trying to segue them in with the rest of the performance. For example, Ryan Stiles had to say he was dressed as a French Maid during Davy Crockett's last stand at the Alamo due to one of the pre-written lines.

Every so often, the line given will actually fit the scene, which in some ways is just as funny as when the line is massively out of place.

"Mr. Monk and the Miracle", features this in a scene where Monk and Natalie find Randy at the police station. It works because Randy has his back to them when the scene begins:

Natalie Teeger: Maybe the Captain saw something... [Randy turns around, revealing that he has grown a mustache] ...unusual. What is that? Lt. Randall Disher: What? Natalie Teeger: On your face! On your lip! Adrian Monk: It looks a little bit like a mustache. Lt. Randall Disher: Well, I'm in charge. It comes with the job. [Monk and Natalie continue to stare at him, dumbstruck] Okay, you're making me a little uncomfortable. Natalie Teeger: You're making me a little uncomfortable!

This is also the case in one scene in "Mr. Monk and the Bully", in season 7:

[Monk and Natalie are following Marilyn's movements]Adrian Monk: God, I can't wait to see his face! Natalie Teeger: Mr. Monk... [sees Monk pull out a very old camera] ...what is that? Is that your camera? Where did you get that? Adrian Monk: It's a birthday gift. Natalie Teeger: From who? Thomas Edison?

In the second episode of Season 5, Amy Farrah Fowler is playing the harp and singing "The Girl From Ipanema" when Sheldon pays her a visit.

Amy: "When she walks, she's like a samba that swings so cool and sways so gentle that when she passes, each one she passes goes..." Sheldon:[knock, knock, knock] Amy? [knock, knock, knock] Amy? [knock, knock, knock] Amy?

Frasier: "No one's going to sell me on anything. Those exercises only help people who lack self-awareness. I, for one, am...[winces in pain] God Almighty!" (Niles responds with "Well, no wonder you're stressed; you've got a whole universe to run!")

Drummond: I'll have you thrown out on your— Guest:[interrupts] But— Drummond: Exactly!

In Cheers, a local tour guide has been passing the bar off as a historic place so that he can warm up and drink during walking tours. Meanwhile, the bathroom is out of order and Carla is trying to fix it because they can't get ahold of a plumber.

Tour Guide: This is where Paul Revere said— Carla: Line up, the can's fixed!

Studio C's "Channel Surfing" is one long run of this trope involving a soap opera, a cooking show, a press conference, and a workout show.

Theater

Noises Off: At one point, a character quietly moving about backstage inadvertently shouts, "OH MY GOD!"... precisely on cue.

"Sounds While Selling" from the musical She Loves Me has chatter about cosmetics humorously mangled by interruptions.

First Customer: I would like an eyebrow— Second Customer: Under my— Third Customer: Chin— First Customer: There's an idea— Kodaly: Madam, I am filled with— Georg: Very soft— Sipos: Soap—

This is the basic idea behind a very old boy scout skit, called the radio skit. (Not clever with the names.) It involves a scout pretending to fiddle with the radio dial, and it devolves into a standard comedy sketch. Can be found many places online, each with their own twist.

Webcomics

Girl Genius has this scene. And yes, if she were there, that was what she'd say, most likely.

In "Blood Feud", Homer tries to keep Mr. Burns from reading a nasty letter he wrote by watering the inside of the street mailbox with a hose in hopes the letter's ink will run. He asks Bart to give him a signal for when the mailman arrives.

Bart: Dad, the mailman's here. Homer: That's a good one. Let's use that. Bart: No, I mean the mailman's here.

From "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken";

Milhouse:[singing]Adults / They're always telling us to--Grampa: Shut your yaps! Jasper: Eh… we're all fed up with you whippersnaps. Old people of Springfield:We're tryin' to get some sleep here / It's almost six-fifteen / What's the matter withAdults of Springfield:Don't you treat us likeKids of Springfield:Can't you just lay off of usOld People: Sick of all of youEveryone:Kids… to… day!

In one episode, a Wall Street trader is on the phone to his company relaying some important information about the state of the stock market and is hit on the head by a stray golf ball causing him to say: "...so be sure to buy lots of [blow to the head]Waffles! Tasty waffles with lots of syrup!" Cue a scene of Wall Street traders shouting "Waffles!" and then, oddly, Japanese traders going crazy screaming "Waffur!".

In "Excellence in Broadcasting", Brian becomes a Republican after reading one of Rush Limbaugh's books, and a Brick Joke of Limbaugh placing some bologna in his book for him to find results in half of this trope and half Take That.

One episode of Aladdin: The Series had a visiting prince trying to woo an uninterested Jasmine.

Prince: Your hair is so soft. Soft like a [rat jumps out at him] RAT! Jasmine:[turning around] Soft like a rat?

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy: Mandy's parents enjoy the time they have together without their daughter scaring the living daylights out of them. Unfortunately, she's just coming home from Billy's house.

Mandy's Dad: I love you. Mandy's Mom: And I love— [sees Mandy outside from the window]MANDY!

From the end of the House of Mouse episode "Mickey and Minnie's Big Vacation", when Mickey and Minnie come back from the vacation to see the club burned to cinders.

Minnie: And to think we almost missed it worrying about the... [gasp]THE CLUB!

The Roger Rabbit short Trail Mix-Up has this while Roger is preparing some chocolate mousse ("I didn't know they were in season.")

American Dad!: After Stan evicts everyone in the neighborhood (including his family) when they criticize him, he is content with being completely alone until his life is in danger.

Stan: Ah, this is how life should be. No one to criticize me, no one to disagree, no one to— [starts choking on food] HELP ME!

Batman: The Animated Series: from the episode "Joker's Favor", The Joker has been harassing some guy who cut him off on the freeway two years prior. Finally, the guy gets fed up and threatens to blow them both up with a bomb, thus ruining the Joker's dream of being killed by Batman:

The Joker: Look Charlie, you had a busy day. All this running around, all this excitement with... BATMAAAAAAAN!

Popeye: At the beginning of "Happy Birthdaze" a succession of sailors are reading letters from home.

First Sailor: To save gas, Sis is ridin' around on her— Second Sailor: ...delicious chocolate pudding made with— Third Sailor: ...four bags of cement and— Popeye: ...just enough sugar to bake a cake for your birthday party. Don't forget to come. Love, Olive.

The Ren & Stimpy Show: In "Stimpy's Fan Club", Ren is writing an insulting letter, in Stimpy's name, to a fan who is a bed-wetter. As he writes it, Stimpy comes in to check up on him and is shocked by what he's writing.

Ren: Dear Johnny...You make me sick! You probably wet the bed on purpose! I have written letters to everybody at your school warning them never to sleep over with you! Your friend...

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